This invention relates to dewatering of rayon staple.
In the production of rayon staple, it is customary to cut the tow of continuous filaments into short fibers (or staple) prior to such treatment as washing and bleaching and application of a fiber finish. The fibers after cutting are formed into a blanket and are advanced through the wet treatment on some form of support such as a screen, belt or alternately on advancing rails.
In the production of rayon staple, a tow is usually cut into filaments and formed into a blanket of fibers wherein it undergoes a variety of treatments such as washing, bleaching, the application of various textile oils or finishes, etc. Upon such further treatment of the blanket of fibers, the excess treating solutions are mechanically held in the interstices of the fibers so that it is necessary to compress the excess solution out by the application of suitable pressure prior to drying. However, due to the uneveness of the blanket, it is quite common that a large excess of solution is still mechanically held along the edges of the blanket and in the vicinity of large clumps so that a large amount of excess heat energy is required in order to remove all of the excess water that has been retained by the fiber blanket. Also, if there is an uneven and insufficient removal of water, there results "wet spots" which cause clumps of tanglements of the fibers in the blanket.
At the present time, no provision has been made in the treatment of rayon staple to solve the problems of uneven water removal along the edges of the blanket